Should Kids Be Fined for Skipping School?

You may already know some lucky kids are being rewarded with things like shoes, iPads and even cars just for showing up to school. But if they don’t, is it fair to fine them — and their parents?

In an effort to end high truancy rates, Kelt Cooper, the new superintendent of schools in New Britain, CT, wants to fine students $75 for every day they skip school.

The idea is now being considered by New Britain council members, and Phil Sherwood, aide to New Britain’s Mayor Timothy O’Brien, said his boss likes it.

“The mayor agrees that truancy is a real issue in New Britain schools,” Sherwood said. “What’s been done in the past hasn’t been working to increase attendance.”

And the plan isn’t unique. Districts in Ohio, California and Pennsylvania have also dinged kids monetarily for missing school, and across the pond in the UK, parents can be fined about $80 if their children are no-shows for classes — and the penalty doubles if it’s not paid within 28 days.

But one high school senior in New Britain called the proposal “ridiculous,” adding, “I don’t see the point. Kids will just try harder not to get caught.”

Welcome back to Cars 108

It appears that you already have an account created within our VIP network of sites on . To keep your points and personal information safe, we need to verify that it's really you. To activate your account, please confirm your password. When you have confirmed your password, you will be able to log in through Facebook on both sites.

*Please note that your points, prizes and activities will not be shared between programs within our VIP network.

Welcome back to Cars 108

It appears that you already have an account on this site associated with . To connect your existing account just click on the account activation button below. You will maintain your existing VIP profile. After you do this, you will be able to always log in to http://wcrz.com using your original account information.